"If you prick us, do we not bleed:" A look at the "others" in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice"

In his review of Janet Adelman’s book Blood Relations: Christian and Jew in “The Merchant of Venice,” Andrew Hayfield points out that the play is often misread or misunderstood. People commonly associate Shylocks’ religion as the outsider quality and with this Hayfield agrees. However, he goes on to say that “theologically, the knowledge that Merchant simultaneously gestures toward and defends against us is that the Jew is not the stranger outside Christianity but the original stranger within it” (413). Which is it? How can Shylock be the stranger inside the Christian faith? No one would deny that Shylock was the marginalized character, but apparently the debate comes to what side of the fence he lies on. Another instance of an outsider in The Merchant of Venice is Jessica, Shylock’s daughter who escapes the Jewish religion through conversion. Finally—depending on interpretation of the character—Antonio represents a marginalized character due to his homosexual intentions.

Much of the play’s action centers on Shylock’s dilemma as the Jewish merchant. Kaplan notes, “The Jew was the primary [religion] other Christians needed to separate themselves from in order to establish an alternative and autonomous religion” (244). The Jewish religion was seen as a threat the Christian world, which leads to the obvious hatred exhibited between Shylock and Antonio. Not until Shylock delivers his famous speech do people begin to relate to his position as the misunderstood, Jewish money-lender:

“Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is?” (III. I. 44-47).

Shylock’s monologue continues, comparing Jews to Christians. He makes a very real plea for Salerio to understand his position; his religion has brought ridicule and mockery to his life and, by punishing Antonio, he is punishing the Christian religion. That is not to say that some of the punishment is not directly aimed at Antonio, but there is a larger goal behind it all. Because of his marginalized status, Shylock feels he must prove his worth and define his equal status. As Paula Cohen suggests, because of these lines, readers accept that Shylock is “a human being.” He is an outsider character who tries to show why he belongs on the inside, demonstrating proof for Hayfield’s statement.

In Venice at this time, being Jewish was one thing, but converting was a level all its own. Jessica makes a very difficult decision through the course of The Merchant of Venice, placing her in a group of her own. She was a Jewish who chose to convert; in some instances, Jews did not have a choice. Conversion was forced upon them. As Kaplan says, “The choice that the Jews are ostensibly offered in the narrative, either death (disguised as religious freedom) or conversion, amounts to the same thing, as Jewish tradition considers apostasy a kind of death” (248). Jessica represents the idea that Jews could escape persecution by changing to a religion more widely accepted, leaving behind their own beliefs; as a result, she would kill part of herself. In hopes to “end this strife,” Jessica claims she will do what she must to rid herself of her Jewish father, thus also eliminating the Jewish religion (II. III. 19). Mary Metzger states that, “though Jessica clearly prefers a Christian life, she is save not so much by her choice as by Lorenzo’s choice to marry her” (56). Her status as a converted Jew will stay with her even after her marriage. However, she is seen in a different light than her Jewish father (she chose it, he was forced). She exists somewhere in the middle; as long as there are Jews in Venice, the attention will not rest on her.

Finally, depending on interpretation, Antonio could represent a marginalized character in The Merchant of Venice. The idea that homosexuality exists because our culture allows it to exist; what we often forget is this play is centered in Elizabethan culture where homosexuality is viewed differently. A reader focuses on Antonio’s references to love and assume he meant it in an intimate manner. In fact, “had not once a love” is referring to a friend-love (IV. I. 272). However, assuming Antonio was a homosexual and had deep feelings for Bassanio, he would be marked as an outside character. Evidence could point that, since Bassanio did not return these feelings, he marked Antonio as different. For this particular marginalized character, the final decision is based on reader’s preference. For me, I do not feel he had homosexual intentions. Antonio did love Bassanio, but as a best friend—one whom he would do anything for.

The Merchant of Venice provides excellent looks at the marginalized character because two of the central figures (i.e. Shylock and Antonio) fit the criteria. Hayfield mentioned, however, that the misconception falls when one tries to categorize the outsider. This task is difficult to accomplish; in this particular play, the characters can either be accepted or rejected. In fact, as stated by Gary Rosenshield, “the question…is not whether Shylock can become a Christian but whether Antonio can be both a Christian and a merchant; that is, a merchant and not in some way also a Jew” (29). Deciding where the margin is for these characters is what gives this play depth, and as I’ve already mentioned, this decision comes down to a reader’s preference.

Works Cited

Cohen, Paula M. "Shylock, My Students, and Me: What I've Learned from 30 Years of Teaching The Merchant of Venice." American Scholar 79.1 (2010). MasterFILE Premier. 4 Oct. 2010.

Hadfield, Andrew. Rev. of Blood Relations: Christian and Jew in "The Merchant of Venice", by Janet Adelman. Comparative Drama (2009): 412-14. MasterFILE Premier. 4 Oct. 2010.

Metzger, Mary. “’Now by My Hood, a Gentle and No Jew’: Jessica, The Merchant of Venice, and the Discourse of Early Modern English Identity.” Modern Language Association 113.1 (1998 January): 52-63. JSTOR. 18 November 2010.

"Religion." The Merchant of Venice: Texts and Contexts. William Shakespeare. Ed. M. Lindsay Kaplan. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2002. 241-310.

Rosenshield, Gary. "Deconstructing the Christian Merchant: Antonio and The Merchant of Venice." Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies 20.2 (2002): 28-52. Academic Search Premier. 4 Oct. 2010.

Shakespeare, William. “The Merchant of Venice.” David Bevington, Ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 25-119.

"So be the will of a living daughter curbed / by the will of her dead father." Gee, that's rough...

Fathers and daughters share a very special bond, one that is not easily broken. Shakespeare does a great job demonstrating the unique bond shared between a dad and his daughter in The Merchant of Venice, as well as his other works. The major difference, however, is the way Shakespeare portrays more in each relationship. Each pairing can be viewed differently based on the perspective: either the father or daughter. In The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare provides two examples: Portia & her father and Jessica & Shylock.

Because of Portia’s unique situation, it is hard to completely understand how she and her father communicated. While Portia, in her opening scene, complains about her father’s sentencing, Nerissa “sees things in a more positive light” (Lucking 359). Nerissa states that Portia’s father was “ever virtuous, and holy men at their death have good inspirations” (I. II. 21-22). The lines provide examples of how Portia’s father was merely trying to do what he felt was best for his daughter (as many fathers would do), but his plan did not work to her liking. Portia would have liked the decision to choose her husband, but because of her father’s will, she “cannot choose one nor refuse none” (I. II. 20).

During the rest of the play, little is said about Portia’s father; however, from what is displayed within the second scene, the audience gathers that Portia’s father was simply trying to protect her. His intentions were good, but the results did not work in Portia’s favor. Or did they? She still was able to marry a man she had some feelings for Bassanio, a man “worthy of thy praise” (I. II. 88). This father/daughter relationship is complicated because, by Portia’s father leaving behind his will, he takes away Portia’s. As Patricia Green states, “respecting the good judgment of parents” (64) becomes an important theme in this complex relationship. Perhaps Portia’s father is criticized for being too loving; that is one way to look at it.

On the opposite spectrum are Jessica and her father, Shylock. These two have a relationship that is also hard to follow, and even harder to classify. As Anita Sherman puts it, “Shylock’s single-minded pursuit of the bond, like an onslaught of tunnel vision, makes sense if construed as a symptom of strategy of a large-scale avoidance—avoidance of the knowledge that with Jessica gone, his whole world has fallen away” (278). Shylock is portrayed as the villain in the story, and as a neglecting father to Jessica. Even after the audience discovers Jessica’s departure from her father, Shylock is reluctant to act. Jessica claims that she is “a daughter to his [Shylock’s] blood…not to his manners” (II. III. 17-18).

Where does Jessica stand on all this, then? Jessica wishes to leave her father’s Jewish ways for that of her husband-to-be, Lorenzo. Once she successfully escapes her father’s house, she swears to “become a Christian” (II. III. 20), a task she thinks would come about quite easily. She sees as an escape from two different prisons—metaphorically. Jessica even goes as far as to say she is a “Jew’s daughter” (III. V. 24-25) showing that her relationship with Shylock is based more on titles than affection. The relationship between this father/daughter pair is never truly resolved in the play. In fact, as far as can be told, the two only share one scene—Act 2, Scene 5—which comes after Jessica has revealed she plans to escape. In this scene, Shylock had a chance to express his emotions for his daughter, and instead, he references the Christian way. Jessica ends the scene and her relations with her father in two important lines: “…if my fortune be not crossed, I have a father, you a daughter, lost” (II. VI. 55-56).

Father/daughter relationships in The Merchant of Venice are hard to define. On one side, there is a relationship where the daughter is ruled by her dead father’s good intentions; on the other side, a daughter who wants to escape her father’s way of life. Both pairs show how extreme the emotions can get, and neither demonstrates the typical loving relationship, perhaps because there is no typical father/daughter relationship. Shakespeare does a great job showing off every side of the story about what people would expect, which makes the story that much better.

Works Cited

Adelman, Janet. “Her Father’s Blood: Race, Conversion, and Nation in The Merchant of Venice.” Representations. (2003 Winter): 4-30.

Green, Patricia. “The Merchant of Venice: A Tragicomedy.” Lesson Plan. Houston Teachers Institute, Houston.

Lucking, David. “Standing for Sacrifice: The Casket and Trial Scenes in the Merchant of Venice.” University of Toronto Quarterly. (1989 March 1): 355-375. Academic Search Premier. Web. 31 Oct. 2010.

Shakespeare, William. “The Merchant of Venice.” David Bevington, Ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s. 25-119. Print.

Sherman, Anita. “Disowning Knowledge of Jessica, or Shylock’s Skepticism.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 (2004 Spring): 277-295. JSTOR. Web. 31 Oct. 2010.

How do I love thee....Let me count the ways! 5 in The Merchant of Venice

Normally, Shakespeare’s comedies center consistently around love, or the theme of love. The Merchant of Venice is no different, although the road to these loving relationships is exceptionally challenging. Like many of the comedies, The Merchant of Venice uses weddings to solve the issues at hand, with one major exception. In this play, the weddings occur in the middle of the story, not so much as a resolution, but as a driving factor for the action. The love that binds these unions is just one of the several types of love described in the play. In The Merchant of Venice, love breaks down into the following categories: marriage love, obsessive love (or greed), brotherly love, father-daughter love, and religious love.

By the conclusion of the play, three couples have formed everlasting bonds: Portia & Bassanio, Nerissa & Gratiano, and Jessica & Lorenzo. Each of them, however, has a unique type of love-relationship. Portia, who is not free to choose her own husband, would be forced to love whoever chose the correct casket. Nerissa reminds Portia of Bassanio’s worth, saying that “he, of all the men that ever my foolish eyes looked upon was best deserving a fair lady” (I. II. 86-87). When Portia does recall Bassanio’s love, she begins to hope he will return for a chance to win her. But still, she is a prize in this play, her father leaving her no option. Therefore, the relationship between Portia and Bassanio is a love of chance.

Bassanio, on the other hand, has a love all his own, an undying love. He was willing to do anything to get to Portia, which is the entire reason the bargain between Shylock and Antonio is made. Even still, with Bassanio’s desires to be with Portia aside, he only wanted to court her because she was “richly left” (I. I. 160). In the end, they are happy, but if the initial desires for romance were for material possessions, when does Bassanio make the shift?

Gratiano and Nerissa have a love entirely different than that first mentioned; theirs is more of a lucky-love. Nerissa, Portia’s lady-in-waiting, has to ask for permission to marry, as does Gratiano. However, once their love is discovered, it is honored with a wedding in conjunction with Portia and Bassanio’s.

Additionally, Jessica and Lorenzo (whom I did not discuss in the first blog) go behind Shylock’s (Jessica’s father) back in order to live their love. Their type of love is almost unconditional, where they must risk their lives to be together—similar to other loving relationships seen in Shakespeare’s plays.

The second major type of love exhibited in The Merchant of Venice is an obsessive love, or greed. Shylock loves his wealth. When Antonio and Bassanio come asking for a loan, Shylock is in the perfect position to show his dominating stature on them, while displaying a love for money. Antonio receives a loan of three thousand ducats at the cost of his flesh if he fails to pay it back. Why would he then, literally risk his own skin, for Bassanio and Portia? The answer is simple: Antonio displays a stronger type of love than greed…a brotherly love.

“Even though Antonio’s role in the play diminishes after this first act, his unreserved and risk-filled act of friendship is the model for similar kinds of other passionately various acts, such as those of Bassanio and Portia and Jessica, all of whom, to different degrees (but none to the extent of Antonio), are moved by love to accept great risk in return for great reward” (Harp 41).

The Merchant of Venice, as a play, would not exist without Antonio, although he is the character that falls out half-way through. Antonio pushes the action along because of his love for his friend; he makes a completely selfless act and agrees to Shylock’s terms. Therefore, if Antonio fails to repay the loan, Bassanio can still be alive and happy.

Next, father-daughter love exists between Shylock and Jessica. Jessica must escape from her father’s house in order to marry Lorenzo. Jessica does not display mutual love for her father; in fact, she says that she is “ashamed to be [her] father’s child!” (II. III. 16). In order to be in love, Jessica must escape her father, diminishing the idea of a father-daughter love.

Finally, religious love, which ends up being theme all its own in this play. Shylock—a Jew—and Antonio—a Christian—naturally do not get along. In fact, within seconds of seeing Atonio, Shylock confesses that he “hate[s] him, for he is a Christian” (I. III. 32). Harp states in his article that “its Christian citizens who have no interest in loving their enemy” (43). Perhaps not the love, but the lack of love, is what drives the conflict between religions. As a Christian, Antonio would have been taught to love thy neighbor as thyself, but this practice does not show in the play.

Five types of love exist in the play, but there are several more instances where love is hidden, but an overlying theme. Shakespeare uses the idea of love to push the action along, but he also wrote The Merchant of Venice in a unique manner. Harp claims that “In The Merchant of Venice love and desire are everywhere in evidence, as are the boundaries which seem to, but ultimately do not, hold them to cheek” (39). Love is not as much the bandage at the end of the story as it is the wound like requires it.

Works Cited

Harp, Richard. "Love and Money in the Merchant of Venice." Modern Age (2009): 37-44. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

Shakespeare, William. The Merchant of Venice Texts and Contexts. Ed. M. Lindsay. Kaplan. Boston: Bedford-St. Martin's, 2002. Print.

5 Annotated Sources on "The Merchant of Venice"

Shakespeare Biography

Gray, Terry. "A Shakespeare Timeline." Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet. 1998. Web. 04 Oct. 2010. .

Terry Gray’s timeline of Shakespeare’s life provides the same information as one could expect in any biography, but the format for the information is unique. The site is developed into an interactive timeline, where one can click on the links to see information pertaining to The Lost Years or Shakespeare’s Death. Because the site is designed in a unique fashion, I would greatly use this in a classroom setting. The flow of the site would engage some students and cause them to pay attention when the information gets a bit dry. Many people could use this site to find information because, first, it is easy to follow and understand; and second, the site comes from Palomar Community College, providing credibility.

The Merchant of Venice: The Play

Hadfield, Andrew. Rev. of Blood Relations: Christian and Jew in "The Merchant of Venice", by Janet Adelman. Comparative Drama (2009): 412-14. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

“Christians were, of course, converted Jews and, however hard they denied their origins or despised the Jews, they could not erase this fundamental understanding of their identity” (412). Hadfield’s previous line becomes a major focus during her paper; she would argue that this idea shows how The Merchant of Venice is about more than just prejudice beliefs. Adelman examines the relationship between Antonio—a Christian Merchant—and Shylock—a Money lending Jew. The article being examined is only a review from Adelman’s book on the same subject, but the work is still something that can be examined. Adelman creates a strong argument about our ideas of prejudice. The Merchant of Venice has many situations where religious beliefs play a vital role, and Adelman brings these ideas to the surface in her book. Hadfield presents the ideas in a way that, if the book were available, I would use it for a classroom presentation. This theme is important and one that needs to be addressed when covering The Merchant of Venice.

William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. By Michael Radford. Dir. Michael Radford. Perf. Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Joseph Fiennes, Lynn Collins. Sony Pictures Classics, 2004. Movie Trailer.

The nicest part of this movie trailer is the way the characters are displayed. From just the few moments and glimpses at the work, one is able to decipher that, while a comedy, this play is not family friendly. The tension and turmoil that build in The Merchant of Venice is easily recognized in the movie trailer. Many people could watch this trailer, and later the movie, and create their own depiction of the play. A nice aspect of the movie trailer is the use of lighting and quotes from the play that set up the action that is bound to take place. Students will be able to recognize characters (if they already read the work) and can decide whether the story follows the idea they constructed in their head. Ultimately, I would use the movie for a classroom presentation, but it would be interesting to show the trailer before beginning the play and discovering students’ first impression of the work.

Teaching Shakespeare in School

Cohen, Paula M. "Shylock, My Students, and Me: What I've Learned from 30 Years of Teaching "The Merchant of Venice"" American Scholar 79.1 (2010). MasterFILE Premier. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.

Cohen mentions first in her article that she has taught The Merchant of Venice for the last 30 years and it has yet to lose its excitement. Right away, this signals that this play offers a lot of information for students and can keep them entertained. Cohen notes that her students, even after all the years, still agree with the basic ideas of the play: Shylock is the villain, Portia and Bassinio are the pair of lovers, and Antonio is the noble who goes out of his way to save his friend. Regarding practical use, it does not so much come down to this article, but the idea behind it that could become relevant in a classroom setting. Thanks to Cohen’s story, one can look at the play and know that students can find something to relate to.

Salomone, Ronald E., and James E. Davis, eds. Teaching Shakespeare into the Twenty-first Century. Athens: Ohio UP, 1997. Print.

Teaching Shakespeare to students is a challenge; getting these students to understand Shakespeare is more of a challenge. Therefore, this book provides an excellent starting point when it comes to instructing Shakespeare. The book focuses on several aspects of teaching Shakespeare, such as role-playing, paraphrasing, and using plays to teach Shakespearean plays. The book provides many significant teaching techniques and I know that, if I had to teach this play in the classroom, I could use this textbook as a great starting point. The practical usage from this book comes from its ability to approach Shakespeare in a variety of ways. If one method is not sufficient, the next may be. The text provides possible ways to allow students to connect to Shakespeare.